RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has renewed its crackdown against the opposition Hamas movement.

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On April 26, 25 Hamas supporters were said to have been arrested in PA raids throughout the West Bank. Hamas said the arrests were politically motivated and meant to bolster tensions.

Hamas said PA security forces have also seized computers from Hamas operatives in an effort to identify additional Islamist dissidents. The opposition movement said the PA has also been purging Hamas supporters from the PA government and educational system.

In Kalkilya, a Hamas-aligned teacher was dismissed by the PA from a government-operated school. Hamas said a 48-year-old municipal official has been in detention for nearly a month without formal charges.

For its part, the PA has reported that Hamas was building a military network in the West Bank. In April, PA security forces found a huge Hamas weapons cache in the northern city of Nablus.

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